Commentary by Susan Brinkmann, OCDS
In an effort to keep their perceived momentum alive, organizers of the pro-abortion “Women’s March” are now planning a new event – a “general strike” – as the latest idea in their “resist-Trump” movement.
Breitbart is reporting on the latest initiative which was announced on Instagram as the “day without a woman.” This day is to be put aside for women to walk off the job, refuse to do housework, watch the children, etc. Although no formal date has been announced, February 17 and May 1 are two dates that have been tossed around by various media sources.
Of course, the mainstream media are all in. The Washington Post published an article yesterday encouraging the effort and asking, “Could it work?”
“Unlike workplace strikes, general strikes involve entire communities, include union and nonunion members, and can, if they succeed, cause serious disruption,” the Post excitedly warns. “Moreover, because general strikes are concentrated in urban areas, they receive widespread media coverage, increasing not only their visibility but also the visibility of the policies they oppose. Strikes are like a barking dog, informing the public that the government is introducing legislation that may hurt them economically.”
The Huffington Post also reported on the “day without a woman,” citing the so-called “success” of another Women’s Strike that occurred on inauguration day in which only a few thousand people participated.
Although strike organizer Paulina Davis, vice chair of the New York chapter of the feminist group National Women’s Liberation, hoped for 20,000 participants, she fell way short at 7,000.
The group posted a rather trite list of what they were striking from on their website. “We strike from paid jobs, emotional labor, childcare, diapers, housework, cooking, sweeping, laundry, dishes, errands, groceries, fake smiles, flirting, makeup, laundry, and shaving.”
The purpose of their strike was to demand “an end to racist and sexual assaults, and all forms of bigotry; reproductive freedom, full access, and no coercion; national health care for all; a $15 minimum wage for all workers, no exceptions; protection and expansion of Social Security; childcare, free like publish schools, and paid family leave; R-E-S-P-E-C-T.”
“If 20,000 women pledge, it’s a show of force. If 20,000 women say, ‘I’m not going to work today,’ people are going to feel that,” Paulina told the Huffington Post. “They’re going to feel that in the work place and they’re going to feel it at home.”
Women’s March organizers cite the support they’re already getting from women for their general strike idea.
For example, comedienne Corinne Fisher tweeted: “This is what I’m talking about. Hit em in the wallet.”
Feminist author Jessica Valenti also opined: “I’m so here for this.”
Naturally, they didn’t mention the many women who made fun of the whole idea, such as pro-life Kimberly Ross who tweeted: “When you walk off the job for a day and that male colleague gets promoted because he didn’t, don’t cry. Got it?”
Catholic blogger Emily Zanotti tweeted: “I feel like a day where we don’t have to interact with radical feminists would be a great day for America.”
Journalist Katie Pavlich added: “Which will result in: Women Without a Job when they are (correctly) fired.”
Perhaps the biggest irony of all is the disingenuous statement posted at the top of the General Strike announcement which reads: “The will of the people will stand.”
I couldn’t help but wonder what that was supposed to mean. President Trump won 30 out of 50 states, and 2,623 counties to Clinton’s 489 counties. Clinton won the popular vote only because she won California by 4.2 million votes and New York by 1.6 million. This means that in 48 of the 50 states, Trump was the victor by about three million votes in the popular vote.
So wouldn’t a more accurate phrasing of that statement read: “The will of some people will stand”?
There are millions of women in the United States who do not identify in the least with the ideology of the March organizers and the vulgar way in which they delivered their message to the world last month. This is why it is so important that we continue to respectfully but forcefully assert our voices just as we did during the Women’s March when we compelled the media to report on how pro-life women were being excluded from the event.
These women do not speak for me and as long as they continue to pretend to do so, I will continue to speak my (own) mind.
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